In passing sentence, Recorder Nicholas Cartwright said the robbers had deliberately singled out the OAP, who was targeted after visiting the Swan pub in Erdington on March 12.

“The complainant had been drinking in a public house,’’ he said.

‘‘He left at closing time, at around 11.15pm. The two of you had been in there deciding who you were going to rob outside.

“It was him you chose, because he was 75 and he was on his own.”

Claire Harris, prosecuting, said the pensioner had been enjoying a night out at the pub when the defendants came in at around 10pm.

The OAP noticed them acting “strangely” before he left to catch a bus at closing time.

Miss Harris said Lane and Cockayne “finished their drinks with gusto before heading out after him”. They then approached the victim and demanded money, but he refused, saying he had none because he was a pensioner.

Lane then claimed he had a knife and threatened to stab the OAP if he did not give them anything. The thug then shoulder-barged the frightened OAP who eventually handed over £30 to the men, who then ran off.

Images of the robbers in the pub before the mugging and outside in the street were published by the Mail in April – sparking a tip-off to cops.

Miss Harris said: “They were arrested after bragging to a witness that they were the two people whose pictures had been published in the Birmingham Mail.”

She said the victim had been badly affected by the incident and was now more cautious and avoided going out at night.

Sally Hancox, for Lane, said that he had not had the best of starts in life while Des- mond Rosario, representing Cockayne, said he had a “weakness for alcohol” and an inability to deal with the effects it had on him.